Feasible choices in diagnostic methods of malaria.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES The present study was undertaken to find out a new easy method in the diagnosis of malaria by centrifuged buffy coat smear, which was found to be a feasible and reasonable procedure. METHODS Blood samples collected from 120 patients suspected of malaria were subjected to all three diagnostic modalities-peripheral blood smear (PS), centrifuged buffy coat smear (CBCS) and antigen detection test using pLDH and aldolase (AG). RESULTS The results of various methods were compared. It was seen that addition of centrifugation (i.e. CBCS) to conventional method of PS (i.e. thick and thin smears) improved its sensitivity from 85 to 93.3%. Antigen detection and CBCS were found superior to PS in sensitivity. CBCS gives combined sensitivity and specificity of both antigen and PS. CONCLUSION CBCS is as sensitive as antigen test and as specific as PS in species identification. It is a reasonable and feasible procedure too.